The word VEDI essentially means a FIRECRACKER. Firecrackers can be of three types, there is the SARAVEDI ( serial cracker) that produces a series of continuous overlapping blasts, there are then thiese single bombs that take some time to get triggered creating tension, then give out a high decibel blast that might make your ear go deaf for a while. There is a third category of VEDI, the damp ones, that give out the pre-trigger sparks and smoke but never get triggered at all!

Vishal starrer VEDI, made by his home production company GK Film Corporation and distributed by Sun Pictures is a remake of the 2008 super hit Telugu film called Shouryam starring Gopichand and Anushka.

With Prabhu Deva, with his proven ability in handling remakes, at the helm of affairs, backed by an impressive cast and crew, a producer like Vikram Krishna who makes no compromise, VEDI definitely raises the expectation of a regular movie fan seeking bang for his buck.

VEDI is the story of a fearless cop Prabhakaran and his effort to win back the love of his estranged sister ever since they were forced to separate during their childhood due to exceptional circumstances. While performing his duties as a cop he goes all out to clean up the local mafia in Thoothukudi, a small town in Tamil Nadu and in the process earns the wrath of the local goon Easwaramurthy who is now hell bent on hitting back the hero where it hurts the most – by going after his long lost sister.

Vishal is out and out the trademark Indian Hero personified – a tall, dark and handsome angry young man. He executes the role of the angry cop with absolute ease. He proves his mettle as an action hero and is absolutely ferocious in all the fight sequences. The director has played on his strengths and has given him more exposure to his areas of comfort and has underplayed scenes that involve sentiment. Sameera Reddy, as the college girl Aishwarya, who looks stunning in her designer wardrobe, is breezy and bubbly as ever. She almost one sidedly romances the hero and surprisingly there is absolutely no reciprocation of the romance from the hero till the end, though he accepts her love in a left handed way. Her introductory number where she dances on the roads of Kolkata in the company of someone who makes a cameo appearance ( not Prabhu Deva tho’) is worth a mention.

Vivek and his ‘over inflated’ comedy track where he fakes a well built body and his one sided love for Sameera evoke laughter, inconsistently though.

Among other performances Sayaji Shinde does his usual villain role that we are so used to seeing in his earlier movies and has attempted nothing new. Poonam Kaur makes the best of the role given to her. Urvashi and Seeman in cameo roles are impressive.

Vijay Antony’s background score is brisk and suits the mood of the film. Among the five songs, ‘ichu Ichu’ is hummable and Kavignar Vaali’s lyrics for this song once again establishes his eternal youthfulness through his lines.

Cinematography by RD Rajashekar is at it’s best in the action and song sequences. His camera work definitely raises the impact of the action scenes several notches higher and sets the canvas on fire. Full credits to VT Vijayan for his crisp editing . Anal Arasu who is the stunt master lives up to his title and the stunt sequences radiate the required heat and provide meat for Vishal’s abilities to flex his muscles.

The first half of the movie caters to the quintessential humor and romance while establishing the premise and makes us hope for a cracker of a second half. But sadly the director has remained faithful to the original and the second half, while it has the elements to make the going interesting, just does not deliver the goods. (Like the dialogue that comes couple of times in the movie, ‘Number correctu member wrongu da!’). The item number is a damp squib while the 12-hour deadline sequence doesn’t really excite the audience as similar sequences are not new to Tamil films. And there is a scene where the hero is beaten up and is half dead, when his abducted sister screams out ‘Anney !’ And the hero’s eyes immediately open, he instantly regains his lost strength and is on his feet in no time – it cant get more predictable than this !

An adopted child will still carry the semblance of the original parents. VEDI is no exception. If only there were conscious efforts to weed out the out-dated elements and infuse some fresh treatment while carefully working around the nativity, VEDI would have been a cracker of a movie.

VEDI definitely has good elements– actions sequences, songs, humor, decent performances - and each of us can pick what we want and ignore the rest. It belongs to a fourth category of cracker called Bijili Vedi ( Electric Crackers) – which can be burst one by one – it’s a sheer joy when one bursts and no loss when another one doesn’t.

Verdict: the cracker that has the spark, the sound, the smoke and the fire – but not all of them together at all times !